Oilers insider suggests Leon Draisaitl may be playing through injury

Edmonton's lineup is starting to look a lot deeper now that Zach Hyman has returned to the lineup, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kasperi Kapanen coming soon after. They're finally getting close to full health, but players still fight through injuries all the time.

Against the Columbus Blue Jackets Draisaitl gave his all to get the Oilers back in the game, delivering 2 goals on 5 shots.

Heading into that game though, Draisaitl had only taken 5 shots in his previous 5 games. Fans had begun to notice his decline in shooting, and asked insider Jason Gregor on social media.

Surprisingly, Gregor said that Draisaitl will be fine by playoffs - suggesting he may be playing through some pain right now.

Against Columbus, Draisaitl did get one powerful one-timer off to score his first goal. His second came on a wrist shot, and while he had other chances on net, there were numerous times he flubbed some shots.

In the 5 games where Draisaitl only had 5 shots, Connor McDavid's shooting rate increased to total 13 shots. That could be circumstantial, or McDavid could be taking more shots knowing Draisaitl isn't 100%.

Even if Draisaitl is playing through an injury, he'll still be one of the most dangerous shooters in the NHL. Anytime he's in the lineup, Draisaitl will battle to find a way to make a difference.

It may be worth watching in the near future how much Draisaitl is shooting, and if it looks like there's something holding him back from being 100% healthy.